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Miami, Oklahoma

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Miami, Oklahoma
City
Downtown Miami (2008)
Downtown Miami (2008)
Location within Ottawa County and Oklahoma
Location within Ottawa County and Oklahoma
CountryUnited States
StateOklahoma
CountyOttawa
Government
 • MayorRudy Schultz
Area
 • Total9.8 sq mi (25.4 km2)
 • Land9.7 sq mi (25.2 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation
[1]
797 ft (243 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total13,570
 • Estimate 
(2013)
13,758
 • Density1,400/sq mi (530/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
74354-74355
Area code539/918
FIPS code40-48000[1]
GNIS feature ID1095343[1]
Websitemiamiok.org

Miami (/maɪˈæmə/ my-AM-ə)[2][3][4] is a city in and county seat of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States.[1] As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,570, a decline of one percent from 13,704 at the 2000 census.[5] The city is named after the Miami tribe. Miami is the capital of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, Peoria Tribe of Indians and Shawnee Tribe.[6] Miami is part of the Joplin, Missouri metropolitan area.

History

Miami began in a rather unusual way, compared to other towns in Indian Territory. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture quotes Velma Nieberding, author of the History of Ottawa County, as saying, "... it was settled in a business-like way by men of vision who looked into the future and saw possibilities. It didn't just grow. It was carefully planned."[7]

W.C. Lykins is credited as the driving force for the creation of the town. He petitioned the U.S. Congress to pass legislation on March 3, 1891 to establish the town. He met with Thomas F. Richardville, chief of the Miami tribe, who agreed to meet in turn with the U.S. Indian Commission and the Ottawa tribe. That meeting resulted in Congress authorizing the secretary of the Interior Department to approve the townsite purchase from the Ottawas. Lykins, Richardville and Manford Pooler, chief of the Ottawa, are identified in historical accounts as "fathers of Miami."[7]

Lykins' company, the Miami Town Company, bought 588 acres (238 ha) of land from the Ottawa for ten dollars an acre. They held an auction of lots on June 25–26, 1891. By the time Miami incorporated in 1895, it had more than 800 residents. The discovery of rich deposits of lead and zinc under Quapaw land a few miles north, caused Miami to boom. Its population was 1,893 at the time of statehood in 1907, and increased to 6,802 by 1920.[7]

Geography

Miami is located near 36°53′1″N 94°52′34″W / 36.88361°N 94.87611°W / 36.88361; -94.87611 (36.883539, −94.876018).[1] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.8 square miles (25 km2), of which 9.7 square miles (25 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.82%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19001,527—
19102,90790.4%
19206,802134.0%
19308,06418.6%
19408,3453.5%
195011,80141.4%
196012,8699.1%
197013,8807.9%
198014,2372.6%
199013,142−7.7%
200013,7044.3%
201013,570−1.0%
2014 (est.)13,671[8]0.7%
Sources:[9][10][11][12][13][14]

As of the 2010 census, there were 13,570 people, 5,315 households, and 3,337 families residing in the city.[15] The population density was 1,258.7 people per square mile (485.9/km²).[15] The racial makeup of the city was 68.9% white, 1.3% African American, 17.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 8% from two or more races.[15] Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 4.8% of the population.[15]

There were 5,315 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families.[16] Single individuals living alone accounted for 31.9% of households and individuals 65 years of age or older living alone accounted for 14.7% of households.[16] The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.07.[16]

In the city, the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 57.1% from 18 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older.[16] The median age was 35.8 years.[16] The population was 53.2% female and 46.8% male.[16]

The median income for a household in the city was $34,561, and the median income for a family was $42,313.[16] Males had a median income of $32,699 versus $25,320 for females.[16] About 14.2% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line.[16]

Government

Local government in Miami consists of a Mayor and four councilmen representing four Wards.

  • Mayor – Rudy Schultz
  • Ward One Councilman – Brian Forrester
  • Ward Two Councilman – Doug Weston
  • Ward Three Councilman – Neal Johnson
  • Ward Four Councilman – Joe Sharbutt

On the state-level, the city is represented in the Oklahoma House of Representatives by Democrat Ben Loring,[17] and in the Oklahoma Senate by Democrat Charles Wyrick. The city also lies within Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district, currently represented by Markwayne Mullin.

Coleman Theatre

Coleman Theatre, 2008

Miami is home to the historic Coleman Theatre, located at 103 N. Main St.

Designed by the Kansas City, Missouri, Boller Bros. Architectural Firm, the 1600 seat Coleman Theatre was built by George L. Coleman Sr. and enjoyed a festive grand opening on April 18, 1929. At a cost of $600,000 to construct, the elegant Louis XV interior includes gold leaf trim, silk damask panels, stained glass panels, marble accents, a carved mahogany staircase, Wurlitzer pipe organ, decorative plaster moldings, and bronze railings. In 1983 the Coleman Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historical Places.

Tours of the building are available every Tuesday through Saturday.[18] Currently, the building is available for touring, plays, concerts, conventions, community functions, weddings, and meetings.[19] The local non-profit community group, Miami Little Theatre, established in 1959, performs five, large-scale productions on the Coleman stage every year.

Education

Public schools are managed by the Miami Public Schools school district. The high school is Miami High School, whose mascot is the Wardog. The Wardog is a mascot unique to Miami and has not been adopted as a mascot by any other school in the United States.[20]

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) was initially accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1925. It is a two-year community college with an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students.[21]

Notable people

"Sidewalk highway" stretch of Route 66 near Miami, 2010
  • Steve Owens – The 1969 Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Oklahoma who went on to become a successful businessman and philanthropist.
  • Charles Banks Wilson – Internationally famous Native American artist whose works are display in the State Capitol in Oklahoma City and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
  • Keith Anderson – Successful country music singer, named one of People magazine's 50 hottest bachelors of 2005 and was named Men's Fitness Magazine's "Ultimate Country Star 2006.”
  • Carol Littleton – Acclaimed film editor whose credits include, "French Postcards" (1979), "Body Heat" (1981) and, the next year, to an Academy Award nomination for editing Steven Spielberg's blockbuster "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), "The Big Chill" (1983), "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (1986) and "Wyatt Earp" (1994).
  • Steve Gaines – An American musician. He is most well known as a guitarist and songwriter for Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Steve was in other bands most notably Crawdad. He joined Lynyrd Skynyrd after an audition arranged by his sister Cassie Gaines. Steve wrote some of the songs on Lynyrd Skynyrd's last studio album involving the pre-crash lineup. He also shared some singing duties with Ronnie Van Zant on the Street Survivors album and on the subsequent tour. Steve, Cassie, Van Zant, Assistant Road Manager Dean Kilpatrick, and both of the plane's crewmen died in an October 1977 plane crash.
  • Cassie Gaines – An American singer. She is best known as one the Original Honkettes the back up singers for rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd. Cassie was responsible for getting her brother an audition with the band. Both Steve and Cassie died in the 1977 plane crash that killed lead singer and founder Ronnie Van Zant, Assistant Road Manager Dean Kilpatrick, and both of the plane's crewmen.
  • David Froman – Actor who played Lieutenant Bob Brooks on Matlock and appeared in many productions of the Miami Little Theatre.[22]
  • Charles R. Nesbitt – Born in Miami and served as Attorney General of Oklahoma (1963–1967), Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner (1969–1975), and Oklahoma Secretary of Energy (1991–1995).
  • Moriss Taylor - Singer/TV Host. Born in Miami in 1925 and served in the United States Army Air Corps. He was the host of the popular long-running country-western music-variety program The Moriss Taylor Show which aired on Chico, California, television stations KHSL-TV (1956-1997) and KRVU-LD (1997-2015). Also worked as a radio host on KHSL-AM and KHSL-FM from the 1940's through 2013 (his retirement).
  • Interior of the Coleman Theatre
    Interior of the Coleman Theatre
  • Clock and bench in Downtown, Miami, OK
    Clock and bench in Downtown, Miami, OK
  • Coleman Theater in Downtown, Miami, OK, at night
    Coleman Theater in Downtown, Miami, OK, at night
  • Original Wurlitzer organ in the Coleman Theater
    Original Wurlitzer organ in the Coleman Theater
  • Former Miami Marathon Oil Company service station. Building was last used as a salon.
    Former Miami Marathon Oil Company service station. Building was last used as a salon.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) details for Miami, Oklahoma; United States Geological Survey (USGS); December 18, 1979.
  2. ^ http://www.bigorrin.org/miami_kids.htm
  3. ^ http://www.hicksville-ohio.com/History/history2.htm
  4. ^ http://www.miamination.com/faq.html
  5. ^ CensusViewer:Miami, Oklahoma Population. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  6. ^ Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission. Oklahoma Indian Nations Pocket Pictorial. 2008.
  7. ^ a b c Jess Heck, "Miami." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  8. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "Population-Oklahoma" (PDF). U.S. Census 1910. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  10. ^ "Population-Oklahoma" (PDF). 15th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  11. ^ "Number of Inhabitants: Oklahoma" (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  12. ^ "Oklahoma: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  13. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  14. ^ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  15. ^ a b c d United States Census Demographic Profile of Miami, Oklahoma, at American FactFinder (cite does not allow direct link). (accessed September 5, 2013)
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Miami, Oklahoma, at American FactFinder (cite does not allow direct link). (accessed September 5, 2013)
  17. ^ Representative Ben Loring-Oklahoma House of Representatives
  18. ^ Main website for the Coleman Theatre
  19. ^ Coleman Theatre calendar of events
  20. ^ Miami High School home page
  21. ^ Northeastern A&M College home page
  22. ^ "Miami Little Theatre". Retrieved February 10, 2010.
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